Dignity Health Mercy and Memorial Hospitals - Beyond the Walls

What is it?

The “Beyond the Walls” program operates three outreach centers located in some of the most impoverished areas of Bakersfield. Services provided at these centers range from giving food and clothing to the homeless, to preventive health care seminars for individuals suffering from chronic illnesses, to educational seminars, health screenings, and after-school programs. In addition, program staff train hard-to-employ individuals in homemaking, assist them in obtaining gainful employment, as well as help needy elderly and disabled adults with their daily tasks so they can remain living independently in their homes.

Who is it for?

The program provides services to two separate populations: individuals who are vulnerable and living in poverty and patients who are uninsured, underinsured or indigent.

Why do they do it?

Kern County is among the poorest regions in the nation and one of the poorest counties in California. The community is challenged by high unemployment, low educational achievement, and poverty. The three Dignity Health hospitals in Bakersfield (Mercy Hospital Downtown, Mercy Hospital Southwest and Memorial Hospital) are the largest providers of health services in the Southern San Joaquin Valley, serving a diverse population of urban and rural residents. The hospitals are committed to providing the resources to run a comprehensive outreach program that focuses on the basic needs of the underserved.

Impact

The “Beyond the Walls” program provided a wide range of services from July 2014 to June 2015. Examples include:

• Of the 197 participants who completed one of the 27 Chronic Disease Self-Management Program six-week seminars, 98.9 percent avoided admissions to the hospital or emergency department for the three months following their participation.

• More than 1,150 children and adults were enrolled into health insurance programs.

• The Homemaker Care Program provided service to an average of 71 seniors per month, enabling them to remain living in their homes independently. In addition, 50 “hard to employ” individuals were trained to become in-home care attendants for these and other seniors.

• The Prescription Programs at Mercy and Memorial Hospitals provided a total of 566 patients with their needed prescriptions, medical equipment and IV therapy ($196,552).

• The Homework Club after-school program resulted in 30 of 34 students improving their grades from the first quarter to the fourth quarter.

• The Breakfast Club served 9,356 warm breakfast meals, and Dinner Bell served 11,230 warm dinner meals to the homeless and families in need residing in the southeast community of Bakersfield. The Learning Center also provided emergency food baskets serving 9,359 individuals. The programs are part of the outreach strategy designed to identify and refer individuals and/or families to additional services.

• The Community Wellness Program served 13,385 clients through educational classes on high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, nutrition, asthma and smoking cessation. A total of 31,130 blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and BMI screenings were provided at monthly clinics throughout Kern County.

More than 108,000 individuals received services during that year.

Contact: Debbie Hull
Regional Director, Department of Special Needs
Telephone: 661-632-5467
Email: debbie.hull@dignityhealth.org